If you click on the links in this post, we may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post, at no extra cost to you. You can read the full disclaimer here.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort has always been one of my family’s favorite hotels. And this is not just at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida, but anywhere. So we are understandably excited about the expansion to the resort!
A new Disney Vacation Club tower, Island Tower, is being constructed as the newest section of the Polynesian Resort. (Fun fact: an early design of the Polynesian Resort involved a tower, though ultimately Disney went with a village layout.)
The new tower’s location is in the area where the nightly luau, the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, was previously held. This is the side of Polynesian closest to the Grand Floridian Resort. It’s also nearest the Polynesian buildings of Tuvalu, Aotearoa, and Fiji. Basically, if you’re facing the Seven Seas Lagoon, then the tower is on the left side of the Polynesian Resort.
Once completed, guests will be able to stay in Disney Vacation Club (DVC) villas located inside Island Tower. And luckily, you don’t have to be a DVC member to stay there! As we have discussed before on the blog, you can book a DVC room through David’s Vacation Club Rentals. In fact, you’re going to want to book through David’s, as you can save hundreds to thousands of dollars on your stay this way! (We talk more about booking DVC rooms here.)
And progress is being made on the 10-story tower. You can see how far they’ve gotten as of November 2024:
This is certainly farther along than back when we reported on this in March 2024:
The Island Tower is projected to open on December 17, 2024 – less than a month away!
But first, the question is, should you stay at Polynesian during the construction?
Staying at Polynesian During Construction
The construction will obviously impact the aesthetic appeal of the Polynesian Resort. It also has resulted in the temporary closure of the pathway between the Polynesian and Grand Floridian Resort. And, as construction tends to be, it can be noisy, though work involving noise is not supposed to start until 9:00 AM each morning.
In addition to the Polynesian power being built, there will also be refurbishments done through 2026. (No, that’s not a typo. The refurbishment work will take place through 2026, according to the Disney World website.)
So is this enough to mean you shouldn’t stay at the Polynesian?
Obviously, this is a subjective question. The Polynesian Resort has a lot of fun activities, restaurants, and transportation options (like a boat ride or a monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom) that continue to be available during the construction.
But it would be a shame to pay full price for an experience that is a little less than what it normally is, right?
However, in my personal opinion, I think a stay at the Polynesian during the refurbishment and tower construction could absolutely be worth it, as long as you can get a good rate on your hotel stay. And you can do that by going through David’s, as previously discussed. You can also use one of the other ways to save money at Disney’s Polynesian Resort.
And if you do decide to book a stay at the Polynesian, make sure you check out our 10 best tips for staying at the Polynesian Village Resort.
Polynesian Tower Timeline
Here’s the most recent timeline we have of the DVC tower.
- June 4, 2024 – Disney Vacation Club members can call Member Services at (800) 800-9800 to make early rental reservations.
- June 5, 2024 – Disney World Annual Passholders can call (407) 934-7639 to make rental reservations.
- June 6, 2024 – Reservations can be booked by the general public.
- December 17, 2024 – The tower is projected to open.
Island Tower Room Types
So what kinds of rooms can you book for a stay in the Polynesian Tower?
- Studios for up to 2 People
- Studios for up to 4 People
- Includes kitchenette with dishwasher
- One-Bedroom Villas for up to 5 People
- Includes kitchen with full-size appliances, a washer and dryer, and an outdoor patio area
- Two-Bedroom Villas for up to 9 People
- Includes kitchen with full-size appliances, a washer and dryer, and an outdoor patio area
- Two-Bedroom Penthouse Villas for up to 8 People
- Includes views of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom Park from a spacious patio balcony
You can take a room tour here:
More Island Tower Features
Wailulu Bar & Grill is a new restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The lunch and dinner menu will be inspired by the Polynesian Islands’ local and indigenous ingredients. There will also be breakfast pastries and coffee in the morning.
And as for the pool complex, children can enjoy a splash area, Moana’s Voyage. Guests can also have fun in the zero entry pool, Cove Pool.
Plus, there will be four tropical terrace gardens for relaxing.